Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Jasoda Dark Yellow’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Jasoda Dark Yellow’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform, early and freely flowering habit; small decorative-type inflorescences with dark yellow-colored ray florets; and excellent garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘JASODA DARK YELLOW’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Jasoda Dark Yellow’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new freely flowering Chrysanthemumplants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a naturally-occurring whole plantmutation of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Jasoda Pink’, not patented. Thenew Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as asingle flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘JasodaPink’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgiumin October, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetativecuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment inOostnieuwkerke, Belgium in January, 2011. Asexual reproduction bycuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemumplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions and cultural conditions. The phenotypemay vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such astemperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Jasoda Dark Yellow’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Jasoda Dark Yellow’ as a newand distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant        habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.    -   3. Uniform, early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Small decorative-type inflorescences with dark yellow-colored        ray florets.    -   5. Excellent garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from the parent,‘Jasoda Pink’, primarily in ray floret color as plants of ‘Jasoda Pink’have soft pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Castor’ , disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.14,612. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Oostnieuwkerke,Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of‘Castor’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more mounding than and        not as upright as plants of ‘Castor’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller leaves than        plants of ‘Castor’.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences        than plants of ‘Castor’.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered later than plants of        ‘Castor’.    -   5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Castor’ differed        slightly in ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Chrysanthemum plant.

The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Jasoda Dark Yellow’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in 19-cm containers during the lateautumn in an outdoor nursery in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium and undercultural practices typical of commercial Chrysanthemum production.During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 25° C.to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 20° C. Plantswere 20 weeks old when the photograph and detailed description weretaken. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2005 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Jasoda Dark    Yellow’.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of    Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Jasoda Pink’, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days            at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days            at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial decorative-type            Chrysanthemum; stems upright and outwardly spreading giving            a uniformly rounded appearance to the plant; plants roughly            spherical; very freely branching habit, about 25 primary            lateral branches develop, each primary lateral branch with            multiple secondary branches; pinching enhances lateral            branch development; dense and full plant habit; moderately            vigorous growth habit; plants flexible, not brittle.        -   Plant height.—About 40 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 55 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm            to 3 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Strength: Strong,            flexible. Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color:            Close to 144A.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 2.5 cm            to 4 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Apex: Rounded to            cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed and            serrate, sinuses between lateral lobes divergent to            parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly            pubescent. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to            137C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137D. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C; venation,            close to 148C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 147B; venation, close to 147B to 147C. Petioles: Length:            About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Slightly pubescent; rough. Color, upper surface:            Close to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 146D.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative inflorescence form; inflorescences            borne on terminals above foliar plane; disc and ray florets            arranged acropetally on a capitulum.        -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant, pungent.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants            flower in late September in Belgium; flowering response            time, about six weeks.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about five weeks in an outdoor nursery;            inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 20 inflorescences develop            per lateral branch.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About            7 mm. Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 144A and 137C.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4 cm.        -   Inflorescence depth (height).—About 2.5 cm.        -   Disc diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Receptacle diameter.—About 3 mm.        -   Receptacle height.—About 2.5 mm to 3 mm.        -   Receptacle color.—Close to 144B.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Width: About 3 mm.            Shape: Oval. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.            Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per inflorescence:            About 150 arranged in about ten whorls. Color: When opening,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 12A. Fully opened, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 12A; color does not fade with            development.        -   Disc florets.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to            1 mm. Shape: Tubular; apices acute. Number of disc florets            per inflorescence: About 50 massed at the center of the            inflorescence. Color: Apex: Close to 144C. Mid-section:            Close to 5B. Base: Close to 145D.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 25            arranged in two or three whorls. Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm.            Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded.            Base: Rounded to truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:            Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to N137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4 cm. Length,            fourth peduncle: About 6 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About            8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: About 30° from vertical.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent.            Color: Close to 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:            Not observed.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum.-   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common    to Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants of the new    Chrysanthemum grown under commercial conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have    demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate    temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘JasodaDark Yellow’ as illustrated and described.